Ashok R. Shaha, MD, FACS

Jatin P. Shah Chair in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology

Dr. Shaha specializes in head and neck surgery, with a particular interest in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. He uses an algorithm of selective thyroid tumor criteria (the size, location, stage and type of cancer, along with the patient’s age), to tailor therapy to each individual’s circumstances. This can help thyroid cancer patients avoid unnecessary and potentially damaging over-treatment, while still providing the best option for control of their cancer and better quality of life after treatment. Dr. Shaha works very closely with Memorial Sloan Ketterings' endocrinologists to monitor the careful post-treatment hormone balancing necessary for thyroid cancer patients. Many academic hospitals and medical societies worldwide have invited Dr. Shaha to speak on the principles of targeted thyroid surgery and to share his expertise in the treatment of head and neck cancers.

His well-established authority in head and neck oncologic surgery has resulted in honors from the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons. He has been elected to top leadership positions in the American Head and Neck Society, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the New York Head and Neck Society, the New York Cancer Society, the New York Surgical Society, the Brooklyn Surgical Society, and the American Society for Surgeons of Indian Origin.

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Dr. Shaha serves on the boards of the Journal of Surgical Oncology, Head and Neck, the Annals of Surgical Oncology, the Brazilian Journal of Surgery, and the Gulf Journal of Medicine. He has published more than 275 peer-reviewed scientific articles and more than 125 invited articles.

Noted for his commitment and skill in educating physicians, he has chaired several international conferences, and currently serves as the Chairman of the American Head and Neck Society’s Advanced Training Council, the society granting academic approval to head and neck surgical programs and trainees. He relishes his involvement in training the next generation of head and neck surgeons, and is the recipient of outstanding teaching awards from Memorial Sloan Kettering and SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.